Week 4

 

I wrote a reflection about a filming exercise when I was doing Translating Observation, basically I talked about ‘ how to be a director’ due to that exercise. I guess this one can be ‘how to be a director’ version 2.

I carefully read  the script when I got it, I highlighted some important points and started to picture some shots in my mind. After I read the whole script three times, I started to draw some simple storyboard to further develop my thoughts. I think the whole process of reading and thinking is an essential part of being a director. Got the script, and picture the shots. I guess that is the ability or sense that a director must have. I really like scene 7 which is the scene Emmaline  asks Martin to play basketball, and I think the sunlight part can be particularly sensational. So I decided to direct scene 7. I started to read every word very carefully . I think about the emotion of characters , the compositions, and the lighting as well. I reviewed the simple storyboard I made in the first time, and made some notes about it. Moreover, since it is a scene of two people talking, it has to be a two shots, and two close up shots of each person. I did some research about how to shoot a conversation scene, and I found some examples. Particularly, I found a scene in Twilight(2008) when Bella(Kristen Stewart) is talking to Edward(Robert Pattinson) in a chemistry class.

I found this is very useful, there is a lot of techniques which I could apply on scene 7, such as the composition, and the lighting.  I remade a new storyboard with more details on it, and I also made notes about the position of camera and lights.

However, you never know what would happen on set even you have a full plan.

We spent about an hour on shooting scene 3, so it only left me less than 25 minute to shoot scene 7 . We spent like 15 minutes on setting up light, camera and props，and only have 10 minutes to shoot. I told myself to calm down and do it as fast as I can. Although I planned everything  about scene 7, I never think about timing. Obviously, I cannot finish shooting the whole scene, and I didn’t have time to carefully adjust the camera and lighting. Honestly, I was so depressed about it. I dont blame nobody, I am just not good enough to shoot a scene in 20 minutes.  However I  learnt something in this exercise, as a director, you need to consider everything and prepare everything. And Don’t be selfish.

If I can do it again, I would  choose to quit shooting scene 7 in 20 minutes, because I know I cannot make it look good, and i am not gonna like the result, then why still making rubbish ? I would rather spent more time on helping shoot scene3, since we have already spent that much time on it.